Summit Hotel · Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0FEMA expects less hazard damage per building in North Union Township than in 85% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Union Township gets an A for hazard risk: lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns, #324 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). Flood insurance has paid 26 claims here since 1978.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about North Union Township’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What North Union Township faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind North Union Township’s grade
River and rain flooding is 90% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Union Township, and North Union Township’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
A #324 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania; lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns (21,298).
North Union Township’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Pennsylvania town has lower expected damage than 71% of U.S. towns; within the state, North Union Township has less expected damage per building than 69% of Pennsylvania towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across North Union Township: $2.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Union Township flood? Sometimes: 26 flood claims since 1978
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in North Union Township, from FEMA’s records: 4.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Hurricane Sandy1 claim · $96K
North Union Township isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fayette County.The storms North Union Township remembers
None of the 15 disasters declared for Fayette County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Union Township itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20165 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm, declared for Fayette County
- 20143 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20183 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Fayette County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often winter storms, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of North Union Township after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the North Union Township archive →North Union Township and its neighbors
North Union Township is 3rd of the 7 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Union Township | Aless damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 39 |
| Wharton Township | Aless damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| North Union Township | Aless damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 26 |
| Franklin Township | Bless damage than 64% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Uniontown | Bless damage than 57% | river and rain flooding | 97 |
| Menallen Township | B−less damage than 55% | river and rain flooding | 8 |
| Dunbar Township | C+more damage than 56% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Oliver | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
| East Uniontown | — | a Census area inside a town; graded with the town | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what North Union Township faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in North Union Township
Is North Union Township at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Union Township has lower expected damage per building than 85% of U.S. towns: A for hazard risk, #324 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (90%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does North Union Township flood?
Flood insurance has paid 26 claims in North Union Township since 1978, $1.3M in all, or 4.0 per 1,000 homes, more than 55% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 3 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Hurricane Sandy (1).
Is North Union Township in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Fayette County, 10% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Union Township?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Union Township’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in North Union Township?
By flood claims, Hurricane Sandy: 1 paid, $96K.
Is North Union Township at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (90%), and North Union Township’s rate for it is lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Union Township.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Union Township’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.